Dhende shown attaching a die above. The molten polymer passes through the mounted die. Far right: Weights shown are used for testing abrasion resistance of the yarns. The weight is tied at the end of the yarn and other end is fixed on the machine to generate pretension before it is abraded on the machine. The weight varies based upon the diameter of the yarn.
of commercial fish netting. (See FACS Magazine, Fall 2011.) Their scientific breakthrough was in using ultraviolet light to adhere a thin antimicrobial layer of polymers and bonding agents to the netting. This new antimicrobial finish could conceivably be incorporated “into every other product,” Dhende explains. The scientists had devised the means to make the finish adhere—and last after multiple washings—“In textiles, inner wear, T-shirts.” From household to industry products, antimicrobials figured into potentially every market sector. “It’s in your toothpaste, your toothbrush, your detergent,” Dhende adds. “Every other product has antimicrobial agents.”
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Scientific breakthroughs are exciting But somehow, as Dhende neared the end of his doctoral work, his job search wasn’t going as planned. Things seemed to stall out. Then he was nominated to attend the Graduate School’s annual Emerging Leaders Program (EL) in 2010. The annual program is offered to outstanding graduate students who are nominated by professors, and involves specific career preparation and coaching. “EL was a great experience, actually,” Dhende says. Part of the training experience addressed interviewing, personal communications skills, and resume preparation. “I ended up changing my resume quite a bit after
that, actually. During the EL program they had tips that really helped. I wound up making those changes. I had a lot more interviews after the EL and changing my resume. Earlier, I don’t think my resume was arranged properly.” Dhende successfully regrouped, revising his resume to better suit industrial needs, and rehearsing interviewing tactics. This new approach worked and job offers were tendered. One, a multinational firm, stood out above the others and Dhende accepted a position with Voith as a polymer scientist. “That was something that was discussed in my interview. In hiring me, they asked me what kind of program it was, and what I learned. Voith’s HR managers seemed very interested